How to Check a Skincare INCI List with Macherre
To check a skincare ingredient list, copy the complete INCI list from your product’s label, paste it into Macherre’s free web checker and review the matched ingredients. Confirm spelling and unmatched names before interpreting functions or reference flags. This workflow does not need an account or a personal skin profile.
1. Find the formula on the product you own
Use the box, bottle or current manufacturer listing for your exact variant. Regional products and reformulations can share a name while using different ingredient lists. A photograph of the label is useful for checking your transcription, but the public web workflow starts with pasted text, rather than a barcode or a skin photo.
Copy the full ingredient list. Avoid adding the product description, directions or promotional “key ingredients” into the same input. If the package has several panels, check that you have not missed the end of the list.
2. Paste the list into the free web tool
Open Macherre’s ingredient checker and paste the names as they appear on the label. Leave the original list available so you can compare it with the result. A successful check tells you that the tool processed the input; it does not certify the formula or check whether it suits your skin personally.
The public tool does not store this as a long-term routine or build a skin profile from the paste. If your goal is barcode scanning or saving products to a shelf, use the app workflow described on the site instead.
3. Check matches before reading the flags
Look for names that did not match. A typo, unusual INCI spelling, trade name or an ingredient absent from the database can leave a gap. Compare the unmatched entry with the label before changing it. Never substitute a familiar ingredient merely because its name looks similar.
Some entries can represent blends or names that need more context. Record the unresolved name and, where necessary, ask the manufacturer for clarification. An unmatched ingredient should remain unresolved rather than being interpreted as harmless.
4. Read each ingredient in context
Review the functions and available reference information. Functions help explain a possible role in the formula; comedogenicity or irritancy references identify information worth looking at more closely. Neither category tells you the concentration or replaces evaluation of the finished formulation.
For the meaning of these fields, continue to interpreting an ingredient-checker result. If your main question concerns pores, use the separate pore-clogging checker and read its limitations before drawing a conclusion.
5. Keep a useful record of the check
Record the exact product variant, the date or formula version available on the label, and any unresolved names. This is more useful than saving an isolated score with no information about the product. If you compare two products, compare the actual lists and directions rather than assuming that a shorter list is automatically better.
The checker can organise your questions: which ingredient are you investigating, is the match reliable, and what information is still missing? It cannot answer whether a product will treat a condition or whether you will react to it.
Why did the tool return an incomplete result?
Check input formatting and spelling first, then database coverage. Re-run only after correcting a verified transcription error. If the result still contains unknown entries, keep that uncertainty visible. Repeating the same input does not create evidence that the missing ingredient is safe.
What is the next step after checking?
Use the product as directed and consider your own previous reactions and professional advice. For a broader explanation of the tool’s purpose, read what a skincare ingredient checker is. The web result is ingredient information, not an individual medical recommendation.